Chinese typewriter



Dec. 19, K, W N

CHINESE TYPEWRITER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1948 INVENTOR. WONG,

KUO YEE ATTORNEYS.

K. WONG CHINESE TYPEWRITER Dec. 19, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1948 INVENTOR. K00 K55 vWONG,

ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 19, 1950 K. WONG CHINESE TYPEWRITER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 26, 1948 JNVENTOR. KUOYEE WONG,

BY ATTORNEYS.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. WO G,

\llllll I! \IIIII.

KUOYEE 3 4 Tram/5 Y5.

Dec'. 19, 1950 K. WONG CHINESE TYPEWRITER Filed March 26, 1948 Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE 2,534,330 CHINESE momma Kuoyee Wong, Hung-Kong, China Application March 26, 194-8; serial no. 1?,135

5 Claims;

This invention relatesi'to writing machine and mere particularly to a machine for writing Chinese characters. I v

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved character-forming machine which is relatively simple in structure, easy to operate and which is abl'e to produce composite groups of associated markings defining the characters of the Chinese language.

A furtherobjec't orthe invention is to provide an improved Chinese typewriter for -printing Chinese characters at high speed, said typewriter being relatively light in weight, compact in] size and. involving a relatively small number of parts. Furtherpbjects and advantages of the invene t lojn will b come apparent from the following desfcription'and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: p y A t Figure 1 is ,a perspective View of a Chinese character-printing typewriter constructed in accordance with the present invention. 7

Figure? is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view taken through; the main portion of the typewriter of Figure'l Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the paper feede mechanism and paper-supporting frame of theChine'se typewriter of Figural. v 4, Figure 4 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken on line l- 4 'of Figure 2, showing the ribbon-feeding mechanism of the typew'riter.

v Figure 5 is an enlarged front elevationalview of the ribbon guide bracket employed in the typewriter of Figure l. I r I v Figure 6 isa side elevational View of the ribbon guide bracket OffFlglll6 5.

t Figure? is an enlarged perspective View of the key lockin'g plate employed in the typewriter of u'r L Figure 8 is 'an'enlarged perspective view of the printing wire guide plate employed in the typewearer Figure 1,; Y Y r Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail perspectiye view of a printing wire retaining bar emp eld i e typewri rof Figure 1. e m

Figure 10 is ar'lffinlarged Sideelevational View p rt vi c q -f ecti ofth pri ting wire uide.

Flgu e 12 is' aeross-sectiqhal detail View similar wrigiiien 'butshowingaii operating key in nor 1 2 mal position, said view being taken on line l2-l 2 of Figure 13. v a

Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken on line 13-43 of Figure 2.

Figure 14 is an enlarged detail View of a Chinese character printed on a sheet of paper by the typewriter of Figure 1. r p

Figure 15 isan enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the end portion of alpaper clamping rod employed on the paper supporting frame of the. typewriter of Figure 1, showingthelconnectionof said rod to one of the flexible toothed conveyor belts employed for advancing the paper after a character has been printed thereon.

Referring'to the drawings, I l designates a housing, preferably of metal, which is rectangular in plan and which has a downwardly and forwardly inclined top Wall portion, shown at l2, the rear portion of the top wall of the housing being hori- Zontal, as shown at. l3 The bottom .wall of the housing is designated at M and is provided with depending supporting feet l5 adjacent its corners. 'I'fhe left side wall of the housing is designated at It and the right side wall thereof is designated atl'l. vfiecured to side walls I6 and ll in vertically-spaced relation to bottom wall I! is a hori- Zontal plate member i8, said plate member underlying theincli'ned forward portion i 2 of the housing top wall. I

The inclined forward portion l2 of the housing is formed. with a, largerectangular opening l9 extending over the major part of said inclined portion. Projecting through opening l9 are the character-forming operating keys 2B. Each key 253 comprises an enlarged head portion 2| carried. on a neck portion 22, each neck portion being carried on an elongated rod member 23, the lower ends of the rod members 23 being slidably received in aperturesformed in plate member 18, 'l'h'e' rod members are biased upwardly by coiled springs 3e encircling thelower portions of said rod members and bearing between plate member 18, and transverse laterally-projecting pins 25 secured tosaid rod members. Secured to the side walls i5 and Hand extending through inclined slots 2% formed in the neck portions 22, of the keys mare respectivehorizontal bar elements 21, each bar-element passing throughthe slots 26 in the neck portions or a horizontally-aligned row of keys, whereby the keys of the row are guided for up and down movement with respect to their associated bar element 27. In the embodiment illustrated, there are seventeen horizontallya'ligned rows o i keys,, each row comprising thirteen keys. Each of the thirteen keys of a particular row engages one of the bar elements 21 at the slot 28 in its neck portion.

Depending from the inclined top wall portion I2 outwardly adjacent each corner of the rectangular opening is therein is a lug 28. Designated at 29 is a rectangular frame member formed with longitudinal slots 30 at its corner portions. Frame member 29 is movably secured to the depending lu s 28 by bolt members 3! passing through the slots 34] of the frame member and fastened to the lugs, whereby the frame member may be moved forwardly and rearwardly with respect to lugs 28. Secured transversely in the frame member are spaced stiff wire rods 32, each wire rod 32 being engageable with the forward surface of a key 20. Springs 33 connect the rear edge of frame member 29 to the top wall rear portion I3, to bias frame member 29 rearwardly and to thereby maintain the wire rods 32 in abutment with the forward surfaces of the keys 29. Each key is formed at its forward. surface with a notch 33 having an upwardly facing shoulder 34, the forward surface of the key being inclined forwardly and upwardly sub-adjacent said shoulder, as shown at 35, so that when the key is depressed it will interlock at shoulder 34 with the associated wire rod 32 and be held in depressed position by said wire rod until the frame 29 is moved forwardly from its normal position to a position wherein the wire rod clears the shoulder.

Pivoted to the forward portion of inclined wall 12 is a horizontal shaft 34 carrying depending arms 35. The front edge of frame member 29 is connected to said arms 35 by hook links 35. When the arms 35 are rotated counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, frame 29 is moved by links 36 to' a key-releasing position.

Designated at 37 is a cylindrical platen or roller. Secured to the side walls it and ll of housing H are brackets 38 and 39 provided at their top portions with the respective vertical flanges 40 and 4!. The forward end portions of flanges 4G and 4! are connected by a rod member 42. Journaled in the rear end portions of flanges 40 and 4| is a cylindrical gear roller 43, the gear teeth of roller 23 extending for the full axial length of said roller. Secured to the rear portion of horizontal top wall is and extending parallel to rod member 42 is a forwardly-facing longitudinal channel member 44 formed with a vertical upwardly projecting front flange 45. Designated generally at 46 is a carriage having side elements 47, 4'1. Each side element 4'! has a depending front arm 48 provided with top and bottom opposing rollers 49 and 50 engaging rod member 42, and a rearwardly extending arm provided with respective rollers 52 and 53 engaging respectively the bottom flange of channel member 44 and the top vertically extend ing flange element 45 thereof, whereby the carriage 46 is supported and guided for longitudinal movement with respect to rod member 42 and the channel track 44. The platen 3'! is carried on an axial shaft 54 which is journaled in the lower portions of the side bars 41, 4'4 of carriage 46. The intermediate portions of said side bars are rigidly connected by spaced horizontal rods 55, and journaled in the top ends of said side bars in a shaft 56 carrying a roller 5'! which is parallel to the platen 3?. At its outer ends shaft 56 carries pulleys 58, 58 secured thereto. At each end of platen 3! shaft 54 carries gears 59 shown in Figure 3, the gears 59 being in the same vertical transverse planes as the respective pulleys 58, 58. Connecting the gear 59 and the pulley 58at each side of the frame 46 is a flexible endless belt 50 fOrmed with inwardly facing gear teeth 6| meshing with the teeth of the gear 59. The belts 60 may be formed of molded rubber or other suitable flexible material. The belts 69 are connected by a plurality of spaced clamping rods 52, each rod 62 being split longitudinally so as to define opposing segments 83, Slidably carried on each clamping rod are a pair of sleeves 54, 64. The segments G3 are normally bowed outwardly with respect to each other so that when the sleeves 64, 64- associated therewith are positioned adjacent the respective belts 6t, 50, a space is provided between the segments through which a sheet of paper may be passed. When the sleeves 64, 64 are moved inwardly, the segments are clamped together, whereby the paper is gripped therebetween. Since belts 65, 6% are moved simultaneously responsive to rotation of shaft 54 due to the meshing relationship of the gears 59 with said belts, the paper is also moved in response to the rotation of said shaft and the platen 3? carried thereby.

Shaft 54 carries adjacent one end thereof a ratchet wheel 65. Pivoted to the rod 42 inwardly adjacent the flanges 4%, 4i are arms 56, 66 and rotatably connected to the ends of said arms is a rod 6'! which extends parallel to rod 42. Rod fi'l is square in cross-section except at its ends and slidably keyed thereto is an arm 53. Pivotally connected to the end of arm 68 is a rearwardly-extending upwardly-curved link bar 69. Pivotally connected to the rear end of bar 69 at "H3 is a forwardly-extending pawl member ll. Pawl member H is formed with a relatively short upper hooked arm 12 and a longer lower hooked arm 13. The hooked ends of arms 12 and it are laterally offset with respect to the main portions thereof so as to lie in the same plane as ratchet Wheel 65. The lower arm 13 is slidably supported on shaft 54 and is formed with a notch at its bottom edge interlocking with said shaft when the pawl member H is in the forward position thereof shown in Figure 3. In this position the hooked end of upper arm 72 engages one of the teeth of ratchet wheel and the hooked end of the lower arm '53 is forwardly spaced with respect to said ratchet wheel. When arm 68 is rotated counter-clockwise from the position shown in Figure 3, pawl member H is moved rearwardly by link bar 69, whereby ratchet wheel 65 is rotated counter-clockwise by upper hooked arm 72, the shaft 54 being meanwhile released from the notch in lower arm 13 by the rearward movement of said lower arm. The rotation of ratchet Wheel is terminated when the hooked end of lower arm 13 comes into engagement with the periphery of the ratchet wheel. Each time pawl member H is moved rearwardly through a full stroke thereof, the shaft 54 is rotated through a predetermined counter-clockwise angle and the paper carried by the clamping bars 62 is fed upwardly. a predetermined distance with respect to the front of the frame 46.

Shaft 54 carries a gear 14 which is in meshing engagement with the cylindrical gear 43. Meshing with gear 43 is a gear 75 carried on a shaft is parallel to gear 43 and journaled in a bracket '5'! secured to the rear wall of housing I I. Shaft l6 carries a bevel gear 78 which. meshes with a bevel gear 19 carried rearwardly on a shaft 88 journaled transversely in the housing H. Shaft 8t carries at its forward end a bevel gear 8|.

Designated at 82 and 83 are longitudinallyspaced vertical depending sleeve bearings caracegeao spective' arms 8.1 and 88* depending from sleeve bearings 82.:and 8511s a shaft 89 carryingat one end-a bevel gear St which. meshes with bevelrgear .86. At itsopposite end, shaft-'89 carries a bevel gear 9| 'whi'chmeshesywith abevel gear 92 car'- riegdatnthe lower end of :ribbon reel shaft '85. The ribbonreel' shafts '84 and 85 are simultaneously rotated in'thetsame direction iriespon- .sive to rotation of platen shaft 54 through the gear I4, cylindrical gear '43, gear 15, bevel gear -18, bevel gear-"I9, shaft 80, bevel gear 8|, bevel gear 86, bevel gear 96', shaft 89, bevel gear SI and bevel gear 92.

The ribbon reelshafts 84 and 85 are provided with reel-engaging keys 93 and a conventional typewriter ribbon reel is adapted to be releasabl'y'secured to each of'sai'd shafts by interlocking engagement with the key 93' thereof. Secured to the forward portion of top wall it between the ribbon shafts is a rearwardly-extend ing ribbon guide bracketlld which has a pivotally connected rear portion'95 extending beneath the platen 37. posed T-slots 95, 96 at its sides and with a central rectangular notch 91. The typewriter ribbon, designated at 98, extends through the T- slots 95, 96 and underlies the notch 91.

Designated at 98' are upstanding brackets projecting from the rear portion of bottom wall I4 and pivoted in said brackets is a horizontal longitudinally-extending shaft 99; Said shaft carries a bell crank lever I adjacent each end thereof. Pivotally'conne'cted to one arm of'each bell crank lever IE is an upwardly-extending link bar IHI and pivotally connected to the top ends of the link bars IOI is a rectangular frame member I02. Frame member I62 has secured therein transversely opposed wires I03 defining-a screen. The number and arrangement of'the mesh openings of the screen corresponds to thenumber and-arrangement of the keys 2%; Overlying the frame member I02 and yield'ably secured thereto bysprings IE4 is anupwardly-tapering hoodlike member IE5 having a relatively thick top wall I95.

Wall Ice is formed with upwardly convergent bores I 0'! corresponding in number and arrangement with the mesh openings in-the screen carried by frame member I92, each bore being aligned with one of said mesh openings. The bores converge upwardly toward the area defined within the rectangular'notch 9; ofthe ribbon guide, the top end of the wall I flfi-being arcuately curved and being normally located immediately sub-adjacent to the pivoted ribbon guide member 95, said ribbon guide member being positioned sub-adjacent to the bottom surface of platen 31 and'being also arcuately curved to conform to thecurvature o'f'said platen. The hoodlike member I05 has-abottom wall iii-3, said bottom wall being formed with apertures correspending in number and arrangement with the bores IIl'I, each aperture being aligned with one of said'bores-and also with oneofthe meshopenings' of thescreen carried by frame member Hi2. Extending slid'ably-througli the screen openings, apertures and bores are rod' members I59, the rod" members normally terminating'at their" top Rear portion 95 is formed with 011- ends slightly below the top surfaces of wall I106. Eachzrod member carries-la. collar H0 and :encircling the rod member is a coiled spring: II I' bearing between the collar Ill 6' and bottom "wall I 18, whereby the rod'memberis biased upwardly.

The bottom ends of each longitudinal row of rod members Iilaare slidably received in a lo'n'gitudinally-extending hollow bar member I I2. Said bottom ends are formed with forwardlyfacinglnotches I I 3' and normally engaged in each notch H3 is a bevelled. detent bar Il l. Each det'ent bar' IN is secured to an -eye bolt 5 extending slidably through the forward wall of the hollow bar member I I2, and encircling the shank of theeye bolt inside the bar member is a coiled spring -I It acting between the detent bar I I4 and saidforward wall to bias thedetent bar into look ing engagement with respect to the notch I I3. When forward tensionis exerted on the eye bolt, detent bar lid is moved forwardly and releases the rod member Its. The biasing force of the associated spring III of said rod member causes itto. move upwardly so that its top end strikes theribbon withinnotch Eli and makes a mark on the paper overlying said notch on the platen 31. If eye bolt H5 is released. and the rod member I09 is then moved downwardly it will be again engaged by the detent bar H4 at notch II3.

Each eye bolt I I5 is connected by a cable H6 to one of, the keys 2i), the respective keys in each row thereof corresponding to the respective eye bolts in each hollow bar II 2. The cables H6 pass over'the bar elements 2? associated with the keys and are looped around pins II? carried on the keys forwardly-adjacent the lower-portions of theslots 26 of said keys. The ends of the cables I I3 are fastened torpins I I8 located forwardly ad- ,iacent the upper ends of the slots 25. When a key is'depressed, the key moves downwardly with respect to its associated bar element 21, causing tension to be exerted on its associated cable H6, whereby the rod member I939 associated therewith is released in the manner above described, When the key is thus depressed, it is locked in depressed position by the engagement of the forwardly adjacent wire 32 with its notch 33 as previously described.

Journaled in the forward portions of the side walls Itv and I? of the housing II is a longitudinally-extending shaft H9 carrying respective pairs of arms. shown at I20, I2I and I22 in Fig-'- ure 2. Shaft H5 is biased in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, by a spiral spring I23 encircling said shaft and acting at one end forwardly on an'arm I20, the other end of the spring being anchored at I24. Pivotally connected to the arms I25}v are thelower ends of arms I25 ex tending slidably through the inclined top wall portion I2, and secured to a horizontal spacer bar I26, whereby shaft are may be rotated counter clockwise by depressing spacer bar I26. The lower end of each arm is connected by a link bar 82? to the endof an arm I23, whereby frame member 29 is moved forwardly by hook links 36 responsive to the depression of'spacer bar I28.

Pivoted toxa bracket I28 rising from the bot-- tom wall [40f the housing II is an upwardly extending arm I29. The top end of arm I29 is connectedby link I30 to a depending arm I3I carried by. shaft 51. Arm IZElis connected'by a link rod I32 to the end of anarm- I2I. When spacer. bar 26 is' depressed, said. arm I'2i moves downwardly and acts through the link rod I32 toro tate arm I29 clockwise, as viewed in F-i'gure' 2. Arm I 29 acts through link I 39 .to rotate arm I3 I and shaft 61 counter-clockwise. This causes the arm 68 to rotate counter-clockwise and causes the pawl member TI to rotate the platen 3'! and to move the paper carried by the clamping bars 82 upwardly as above described.

The lower arms of bell crank levers Ififi are connected by link rods I33 to the ends of arms I22.

In operation, a character is printed by depressing selected keys on the keyboard to define the outlines of the character. The depression of the selected keys 2ll releases the corresponding rod members I09, causing said rod members to move upwardly under the force exerted thereon by their associated biasing springs l i I acting on the collars I ll] carried by said rod members. The keys are locked in depressed positions by the engagement of their notches 33 with the forwardly adjacent wires 32 of the frame member 29. When the character is entirely formed, for example, as shown in Figure 14, spacer key IE6 is depressed. This rotates shaft I I9 counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, causing arms I22 to be rotated counterclockwise. Bell crank levers Hit are rotated counterclockwise by link rods I33 causing a downward force to be exerted by link bars I 95 on the frame member I92. The rod members I99 are provided with stop collars I34 below the frame member I92. When said frame member moves downwardly as a result of said downward force, the previously released rod members I 89 are engaged at their collars I3 l by the mesh wires carried by the frame member. At the same time, the depressed keys 20 are released by the forward movement of frame member 2?: resulting from the counterclockwise rotation of arms 35 which occurs when arms IZI rotate downwardly. This releases the detent bars II associated with the aforesaid previously released rod members its. Downward movement of frame member I92 therefore returns the rod members I89 into locking engagement with the detent bars H4.

Simultaneously with the return of the rod members I89 and keys 20 to starting positions, the arm i292 is oscillated, as above described, to cause the pawl member ii to advance the paper to a position on the platen 3? for the next character to be formed. At the same time, rotation of the platen shaft 54 is transmitted, as previously described, through gear 74 to the ribbon feedin mechanism, causing the ribbon 98 to be advanced to a position for forming the next character.

Upon release of the spacer bar I spring I23 returns shaft I I9 to its original position and the various linkages connected to the respective arms i2! and i22 are likewise restored to their original positions. The machine is then ready for the printing of the next character.

At the end of a vertical row of characters, the

carriage, including the frame 48 and platen 37 is moved laterally by means of a knob I provided on the end of the platen shaft St to the starting position for the next vertical row of characters. Said knob may also be employed for manual ro tation of the platen shaft whenever required.

While a specific embodiment of a Chinese typewriter has been disclosed in the foregoing de scription, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

. 1. A Chinese typewriter comprising a housing,

a platenrotatably supported on said housing, ribbon-supporting means on said housing, bracket means on said housing formed and arranged to guide a ribbon from said ribbon-supporting means past an under surface portion of said platen, a hood-like member carried in said housing beneath the platen, said hood-like member being formed with a plurality of guide bores converging upwardly toward said under surface portion, a movable rod member slidably positioned in each guide bore, a plurality of rows of depressible keys carried by said housing, means connecting said :eys to said rod members, said connecting means being formed and arranged to advance a rod member upwardly through its bore responsive to the depression of the key associatedtherewith, means for maintaining said keys depressed, and means for simultaneously releasing all the depressed keys and returning the rod members to retracted positions in their bores.

2. A Chinese typewriter comprising a housing, a platen rotatably supported on said housing, ribhon-supporting means on said housing, bracket means on said housing formed and arranged to guide a ribbon from said ribbon-supporting means past an under surface portion of said platen, a hood-like member carried in said housing beneath the platen, said hood-like member being formed with a plurality of rows of guide bores converging upwardly toward said under surface portion, movable rod members slidably positioned in the bores, a plurality of rows of depressible keys carried by said housing, means connecting said keys to the respective rod members, said connecting means being formed and arranged to selectively advance the rod members upwardly through their bores responsive to the depression of the keys associated therewith, means for locking the keys in depressed positions, and means for simultaneously releasing said keys and for rotating said platen through a predetermined angle.

3. A Chinese typewriter comprising a housing, a carriage, means for supporting said carriage for longitudinal movement on said housing, a platen rotatably mounted on said carriage parallel to said supporting means, ribbon-supporting means on said housing, bracket means on said housing formed and arranged to guide a ribbon from said ribbon-supporting means past an under surface portion of said platen, a hoodlike member carried in said housing beneath the platen, said hood like member being formed with a plurality of rows of guide bores converging upwardly toward said under surface portion, movable rod members slidably positioned in said bores, means biasing the rod members upwardly, releasable locking means normally holding said rod members in depressed positions, a plurality of rows of depressible keys carried by said housing, each key being associated with a rod member, means connecting the keys to the respective locking means and formed and arranged to release the locking means responsive to the depression of the key associated therewith, and means for simultaneously returning the released rod members to depressed positions.

l. A Chinese typewriter comprising a housing, a carriage, means for supporting said carriage for longitudinal movement on said housing, a platen rotatably mounted on said carriage parallel to said supporting means, ribbon-supporting means on said housing, bracket means on said housing formed and arranged to guide a ribbon from said ribbon-supporting means past an under surface portion of said platen, paper clamping means on said carriage coupled with said platen,said paperclamping means including an upwardly-extending paper-supporting frame, a hood-like member carried in said housing beneath the platen, said hood-like member being formed with a plurality of rows of guide bores converging upwardly toward said under surface portion, movable rod members slidably positioned in said bores, means biasing the rod members upwardly, releasable locking means normally holding said rod members in depressed positions, selective key-operated means for releasing said locking means, and means for simultaneously returning the rod members to depressed positions and for rotating said platen through a predetermined angle.

5. A Chinese typewriter comprising a housing, a platen rotatably supported on said housing, ribhon-supporting means on said housing, means for guiding a ribbon from said ribbon-supporting means past a surface portion of said platen,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 90 1,028,037 Lilleberg May 28, 1912 2,129,065 Loop Sept. 6, 1938 

